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outside Charlottesville, Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Grace stared at them as he moved the maps slowly to see everything nearby.
    “We have Darby ready with the SEALs,” Arrington walked up to him. The rest of the group was talking at the table.
    “I want my own guys for this,” Grace didn’t move his eyes from the maps.
    “Definitely not. This is the acting president,” Arrington said. “We can’t have your group of shooters going in to get him.”
    “They’re the only ones I trust to go with me,” Grace said. “You saw those Secret Service guys turn on each other.”
    “I’ve given you free run since this started. You’re the best asset the NSA has. Hell, you’re better than anyone the CIA and FBI have combined. But this requires a bit of diplomacy. Plus there’s a dozen Secret Service agents protecting him. How do you think they’d react to your long haired goons knocking on the door?” Arrington said. “SEALs need to be first in.”
    Grace turned to Arrington.
    “Fine. But let Darby know I’m in charge,” Grace said. “And make sure the SEALs know that.”
     
     

CHAPTER 5
    It had been barely two hours since the attack on the Capitol as Grace and Arrington rode the elevator up from the sublevel of the Homeland Security building to the sixth floor, then climbed a set of stairs and opened the door to the roof. Grace stopped and looked to the west as the glow of Dulles airport lit the sky. A Boeing 777 airplane dropped down behind the trees to land on the nearest runway.
    “Stick to the plan, Grace,” Arrington said. “It’ll be clean and simple.”
    “You know me, Derek. I like simple.”
    “Since when?” Arrington said.
    The downdraft of a helicopter coming to land on the roof hit them as the sound of the engine drowned out any more conversation.
    “Just stick to the plan!” Arrington yelled.
    Grace put his hand to his ear then motioned like he couldn’t hear his boss and turned to board the Bell 407 helicopter that had touched down.
    As he pulled the seat belt on in the back seat of the chopper Grace turned to see Master Chief Petty Officer Murphy beside him.
    “Are you it?” Grace said.
    “No sir, I’m SEAL Team Four leader. I came ahead to pick you up. The rooftop pad couldn’t handle the larger birds,” Murphy said. “We have a short hop to a secured runway where my team is waiting with the larger aircraft. If you’d like to brief me then I’ll convey orders and get us airborne again as quickly as possible.”
    “Sounds good,” Grace said.
    Murphy tapped the seat in front of him and the pilot lifted the white helicopter off of the roof and began to move forward.
    Arrington watched as they lifted up off the building and headed south to loop around the busy airport. He turned and closed the steel door behind him.
    Grace gave MCPO Murphy only the details he needed to know as they flew across Route 28. They barely got a thousand feet up and the pilot was bringing them down again to the private runway outside the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. No runway lights were on and Grace barely made out the blinking taillights of a pair of helicopters in the darkness. As they landed at the north end of the museum, two Blackhawks sat with their engines running. Grace watched the black machines and the five SEALs checking them out.
    “Looks like our rides are ready,” MCPO Murphy said.
    “I thought you guys used Seahawks and Chinooks?” Grace said.
    “Our birds are on the ground at Little Creek, sir.” SEAL Team 4 operates out of a base near Norfolk, Virginia. “We were up here for some training and didn’t have any helos with us. The Marines are giving us a lift today.”
    Grace nodded to the SEAL team leader and followed him out of the small helicopter and across the tarmac to the large Blackhawks.
    “This is Mr. Grace. He’ll be with us tonight and we’ll be taking our orders directly from him,” Murphy announced to his team then turned to Grace.